Cross-roller drill



Feb. a, 1923.

4,444,074 H I?4 HUGHES ET AL CROSS ROLLER DRILL. FILED APR. 20, 15)?2 2 SHEETS-SHEET l Patented Feb. 6, 1223.

'unirse stares Parana HOWARD R. HUGHES AND RUDOLPH C. KULDELL, .0F HOUSTON, TEXAS; SAID KULDELL ASSIGNOR T HUGHES TOOL COMPANY, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

CROSS-ROLLER DRILL.

Application filed ApriI 20, 1922. Serial No. 555,797.

To allwlwmzt may concern: pins (iin the usual manner. These cutters Be it known that we, HoWARD R. HUGHES and their method of mounting are not a and RUnoLrH C. KULDELL citizens of the part of our invention and further descrip- United States, residing at llouston,- Harris tion is unnecessary. ,l

County, Texas, have invented a certain new Between the two side cutters and extend- 60 and useful Improvement in Cross-Roller ing diametrically through the head is a Drills, of which the following is a full, clear, cross shaft 7 To receive this shaft and the and exact description, such as will enable cross roller cutters, the lower face of the others skilled in the art to which it apperhead is formed with two central chambers or 10 tains to make and use the same. pockets 8, there being between these pockets e5 Our invention relates to an improvement a central wall or web 9. At the outer ends in rotary earth boring-drills and has parof these chambers the wall 10 of the head ticular application to the retaining means extends downwardly to provide a support to be used in securing in position the shaft for the opposite ends of the cutter shaft 7.

of the cross roller cutters in the so-called Said walls 10 are provided with a central 70 cross roller bit. opening 11 cylindrical in outline and mate- 'lhe object of our invention is to provide rially larger than the end 2 of the cutter pin. a means for retaining the cutter shaft of a Below the openings 11 slots 13 are formed cross roller bit in position, so that it may in the walls through which openings the be easily removed. ends 12 of the pin may pass. Each opening 75 Another object is to provide a retaining 11 about the end 12 of the pin provides a means for the cutter shaft in,a cross roller seat for a retaining ring 14 which is adapted bit which will permit the cutters to be to fit about the end of the'shaft and form a mounted in position on the shaft and the seat or support within which the shaft is re` shaft to be then inserted in position in the' tained. A diametrical opening 15 is formed S0 head and there secured in place with the through the bearing ring 14 and a similar least possible amount of manipulation. opening 16 is formed in each end of the cut- Other objects and advantages of our imter shaft; thus, when the shaft has been provement will be apparent from the more forced into position and the locking ring 1l detailed description which follows, and the inserted in position over the end thereof, the 85 points of novelty therein'will be set forth cotter pin 17 may be inserted through the in the claims appended hereto. Referring to registered openings 15 and 1G to hold the the drawings, forming a part of this speciring 111 in position. To allow the insertion cation, and wherein like numerals of referof the cotter pin 17 the wall 10 of the chainence are applied to like parts in the sepaber is provided with an outer vertical groove 90 rate views; Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a 18 above the pin. y cross roller bit in which our invention is The central portion of the pin 7 is squared employed. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal as is shown at 19 to fit within a square slot section on a plane parallel with the cross 2O in the central web 9. It will thus be ap- 40 roller shaft, and Fig. 8 is a transverse secparent that when it is desired to mount the 95 tion on the plane 3 3 of Fig. 2. cutters shown at 21 within the head of the In the type of bit to which our invention bit, said cutters may be placed in position has been applied, there is a head, approxiupon the cutter pin or shaft. The outer mately cylindrical midway between its ends. face of the end cutter of each group is re- It is 'tapered upwardly toward the upper cessed to receive a washer 25 which is fixed 10o end and has a threaded shank 2 for attaclito the shaft by being upset and driven into a ment to a drill collar of ordinary construcgroove 26 and openings 27 in the said shaft tion, not shown. At the upper end of shank 7. This holds the cutters securely mounted 2, a small threaded shank or extension 3 is in correct'position on the shaft. When thus 5o provided by means of which the lubricat'or mounted, the. assembled cutters and pin 105 container may be secured to the head of the may be inserted upwardly through the slots drill. The lower end of the head is beveled 13 in the outer walls and 2O in the central or recessed on opposite sides as shown at 4; web into operative position. The locking thus, providing seatsl for the two inclined rings 14 will then be slid into the recesses side cutters 5. Said cutters are secured upon 11 about the ends of the pin and the Cotter 110 pins then used to retain the said rings in position on the pin. As will be noted particularly from Fig. l thc pin and locking ring together are materially larger than the slot 13: thus, preventing the lateral movement of the said pin and acting to retain it securely iu position.

When in actual operation the cutters will be lubricated by the system now usually em ployed in successful roller drills. The cutter pin will he provided wit-h a central channel shown in dotted lines at 22 and from this channel branching ducts will lead to the bearings of the cutters. The channel 22 will be connected by means of a passage 23 in the head to the lubricator which will be. secured upon the shank 3 previously described. 'ater from the drill stem will lind a passage downwardly through the head of the bi1 by means of water channels 2l and thus be discharged upon the cutters during their operation.

The particular advantages of our improvement of cutter mounting. lies largely in the convenience and rapidity by means of which the cutters may be assembled in the head. It also makes it possible to provide several cutter shafts upon each of which may be mounted a separate set of cutters. rl`hese cutters may be assembled on the shaft in the shop and may be quickly mounted in the head on the derrick tioor as previously described. 'l'here is practically no possibility of the shaft being loosened or broken and lost in the hole, 'hen one set of cutters have become dulled, it will be possible to quickly remove the same together with their cutter pin and substitute therefor a new set of cutters. Very little time will thus be lost and there will be no danger of mounting cutters in incorrect(position.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is new and desire to protect by this patent. is:

1. In a rotary earth boring drill. a head having two cutter mounting recesses or chambers in its lower end, a cutter shaft extending diametrically across said head and said chambers, cutters on said shaft in said chambers, said chambers having lateral openings of larger diameter than the diam eter of sail shaft. and slots leading downwardly from said openings of the same width as said shaft, retaining rings adapted to tit over the ends of said shaft and into said openings and means to retain said rings on said shaft.

Q. In a rotary earth boring drill, a head having two cutter mounting chambers in its lower end providing a central and two side walls. cutters in said chambers and a cut-ter supporting shaft extending through said chambers diametrica-lly of said head, said shaft fitting in a squared slotP` in said central wall and in slots in said side walls, said outer slots being shaped to receive said shaft and enlarged at their upper ends and a retaining ring in said enlarged portion about said shaft and means to hold said ring in place.

3. ln a cross roller drill, a head, a support at the lower end of said head for the cross cutters comprising a central and two side supporting walls, a cutter shaft having a squared central portion, said central wall having a squared slot to receive it, said side walls having vertical slots to receive the ends of said shaft, said slots bein-g enlarged at their upper end and a retaining ring adapted to tit about said shaft in the manner de scribed.

4. In a cross roller drill, a head, a support at the lower'end of said head for the cross cutters comprising a central wall and two side walls, said walls having vertical slots, the slots in said side walls being enlarged at the upper ends. cross cutters and a shaft for said cutters fitting in said slots, a retaining ring slidable on to the ends of said shaft and fitting in said enlarged portion of the slots and a Cotter pin engaging each ring and passing through said shaft to retain said ring in position.

ln a rotary earth boring drill, a head. side cutters and cross rollers thereon, a support for said cross rollers comprising a shaft, forwardly projecting siqiporting walls for said shaft, said walls having slots therein, said slots being' enlarged at their upper ends to receive said shaft, retaining rings about said shaft in said enlarged ends of said slots, means to retain said rings in place, and means to prevent rotation of said shaft.

(i. In a rotary earth boring drill, a head, side cutters and cross rollers thereon, a. support for said cross rollers comprising a shaft. 1n lans to hold said cutters assembled on said shaft. supporting walls having vertical slots to receive said shaft, said slots having enlarged upper ends, retaining rings fitting about said shaft in said enlarged upper ends of said slots, and means to retain said rings in place.

In testimony whereof, we hereunto affix our signatures, this the 28 day of March.,

HOWARD R. HUGHES. RUDOLPH C. KULDELL. 

